An agreement has been reached with Marriott International and Shaner Hotels to develop and operate the hotel facility at HARBORcenter at the foot of Main Street. The 205-room hotel, which has been awarded a full-service Marriott franchise to be operated by Shaner Hotels, will be part of the $170 million multi-use hockey and entertainment complex and will be located at the corner of Main and Scott streets. A 96-room Courtyard by Marriott will occupy the second through fourth floors of Benderson Development’s One Canalside project across Scott Street from HARBORcenter.
“We are thrilled that we have an agreement with Marriott and Shaner Hotels to operate our hotel facility at HARBORcenter,” said John Koelmel, president of HARBORcenter, LLC. “Our goal is to make HARBORcenter a first-class facility and we have taken a huge step toward that by aligning ourselves with a powerful brand like Marriott and the resources and proven track record that Shaner Hotels brings to its hotel facilities.”
Scheduled to open in spring 2015, the Marriott Buffalo Harbor Center will offer 205 rooms and suites, 5,000 square feet of meeting space for groups up to 450 persons, a fitness center, a business center, high-speed Internet, a sundry/newsstand, and the new Marriott Great Room serving three meals daily, appetizers and beverages.
“As the signature brand of Marriott International, Marriott Hotels & Resorts is one of the most recognized names in the industry,” said Kip Vreeland, Marriott’s Chief Officer, Full Service Franchising. “Building on our longstanding tradition of hospitality excellence, Marriott is re-imaging the future of travel, with expansive Great Room lobbies that help refresh and recharge; tech-enabled work spaces; and an innovative new Guest Room – a modern blend of style and comfort designed for the way guests work and play today. The result is a modern place where every need is met and exceeded.”
The Buffalo Marriott hotel will feature this contemporary style and design and innovative approaches to delivering service and amenities, featuring the new Guest Room, where style meets substance to help guests transition effortlessly from work time to downtime.
“We are very excited to work with the Pegulas, the HARBORcenter team, the Sabres organization, and Marriott in developing and operating this exciting property,” said Lance Shaner, Chairman of the Shaner Companies. “We look forward to the hotel assisting in the growth of tourism in the downtown area and to help further establish Buffalo as one of the premier hockey markets in North America.”
HARBORcenter will be anchored by two new ice rinks that will be open for community use in addition to a hockey-themed, upscale restaurant and bar, additional retail space and a 850-space parking structure.
Shaner Hotel Group owns and operates 40 hotels, including properties as far west as Edina, Minn., and south to Florida, but with most of the properties in the Northeast. It also has a property in Barga, Italy, according to the company’s portfolio. State College, Pa.-based Shaner Group is a privately held group of companies with over 2,500 employees that owns and manages a diverse portfolio of businesses that includes hotels, finance, investment management, venture capital and energy production including hydraulic fracking.